News

The latest from the Black Country

Brexit Checklist Helps to Provide Clarity for Businesses

British Chambers of Commerce has sought to ease business fears over Brexit by releasing a detailed ‘checklist’ document for businesses. The document covers a range of important contingency measures that UK businesses may need to take.

Since the vote to leave the European Union, the British Chambers of Commerce have advocated that firms across the country, whether directly or indirectly affected by UK withdrawal, should be preparing for all eventualities.

Statistics published since the referendum have shown a high number of businesses in the UK are ‘either watching, waiting or taking no action at all’. With this in mind, businesses across the country are being advised by British Chambers to contact their regional Chamber for assistance on Brexit-related issues.

In terms of specifics within the checklist, UK importers and exporters are advised to consider or take action on eventualities including potential delays at the UK/EU border, customs checks on goods leaving or entering the UK, rules of origin certificates (currently not required within the EU), the introduction of import VAT and a review of existing contracts so that they remain viable once the UK leaves the EU.

For Black Country businesses who wish to find out more about the ongoing negotiations between the UK and the EU, the Black Country Chamber of Commerce is holding the Brexit: Leading the Way event on Thursday 26th April. This conference-style event will take place at the Grand Station in Wolverhampton at 12:30pm, shortly after the Black Country Business Expo.

Guest speakers on the day include Anastassia Beliakova, Head of Trade Policy at British Chambers of Commerce, David Hearne from the Centre for Brexit Studies and Christopher Desira, Founding Director of Seraphus, an immigration and human rights law firm.

Commenting on the Brexit Checklist, Anastassia Beliakova, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, commented: “It is critical that businesses start preparing for the changes that Brexit will bring. Although there is much that is not yet clear about the future relationship between the UK and the EU, we do know that we will be leaving the Customs Union and the Single Market, and there are some implications - particularly on trade in goods - that businesses need to actively consider.

“While these can entail higher costs for companies, there are ways to mitigate these - if businesses take the time and effort to do so. Whilst it may appear to make sense to wait for the outcome of the negotiations, this could mean being caught out at the last minute.

“The Brexit Checklist outlines the current expectations for the future relationship between the UK and the EU in a number of areas - from customs to VAT, from workforce to regulation - and gives suggestions that can help every business to proactively prepare for the changes ahead.”

Chamber Patrons

We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. Cookies used for the essential operation of the site have already been set.
To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our Privacy Policy.